Valley of Tears documents the lives of
Mexican-American migrant farm workers in Raymondville, Texas and
the terrible conditions they had to endure. In 1979 they decided
to strike. What followed was a fight not only for higher pay and
treatment, but for their lives, their childrens lives, and
their grandchildrens lives. What they accomplished would make
history. The films depiction of the struggles of the migrant
farm workers and their battle for equal rights is both compelling
and inspiring. What is hidden in United States history books is
finally exposed in a telling documentary about the endurance of
the human spirit and the determination to fight for what is right
in a world where the right thing is all too often too difficult
to find. A dynamic and moving film, Hart Perry tells a complex story
of the long journey individuals will endure in order to make a better
future for their families and the life they have come to love.

Biography:

During the last 30 years working as a filmmaker,
Hart Perry has carved out three distinct reputations: social and
music documentarian, cameraman, and artist. In 1969, he was the
youngest cameraman at the legendary Woodstock music festival and
in 1970 he directed his first music video, for Alice Cooper. In
1977, he shot the Academy Award-winning Harlan County: USA
with Barbara Kopple, and in the 80s shot Kopple's American Dream,
which also won an Academy Award. In 1992, he teamed up with Jonathan
Demme to make Haiti: Killing the Dream, a film about the
rise and deposing of peoples' hero, Jean-Claude Aristide.